This wikiHow teaches you how to restart your computer, tablet, or smartphone normally after opening them in safe mode. Safe mode is a way for a computer, tablet, and phone to load only the programs and information necessary to run basic procedures, which goes a long way in diagnosing a problem or removing a virus. You should only exit safe mode if you are sure that the problem for which you entered it has been resolved.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: On Windows
Step 1. Restart your computer
Opens Beginning
, click To turn off
and then click Restart. Most of the time, this will be enough to get out of the computer's safe mode.
If the computer restarts in safe mode, proceed to the next step
Step 2. Open Start
Click on the Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen.
Step 3. Type system settings in Start
The computer will then search for the "System Configuration" application.
Step 4. Click System Settings
This is a monitor-shaped icon located at the top of the "Start" window. System Settings will open.
Step 5. Click on the General tab
This tab is in the upper left corner of the window.
Step 6. Click on the "Normal Start" bubble
You will see it at the beginning of the section Section of the window.
Step 7. Click on the Boot tab
You will see it at the top of the window.
Step 8. Uncheck the "Safe boot" box
It's on the left side of the window. If the box is not checked, then Secure Boot is already disabled.
Step 9. Click Apply and then in OKAY.
Both options are at the bottom of the window. This will ensure that your computer is not set to boot in safe mode by default.
Step 10. Turn off the computer
Click on Beginning
, click To turn off
and then in To turn off. This last action will shut down the computer.
Step 11. Leave the computer off for a few minutes
This will give you time to completely shut down and refresh the internal data cache.
Step 12. Restart the computer
Press the power button on the computer. When it finishes booting, you are out of safe mode.
If your computer is still in safe mode, you may need to take it in for service for a diagnosis
Method 2 of 4: On Mac
Step 1. Restart the Mac
Open the Apple menu
, click Restart… and then in Restart when asked. Most of the time, this will be enough to get out of the computer's safe mode.
If the computer restarts in safe mode, proceed to the next step
Step 2. Make sure the Shift key on the Mac isn't stuck
Holding down the Shift key while a Mac restarts will cause it to boot into safe mode. If the key is stuck, you will not be able to restart the computer without booting into safe mode.
If the Shift key is stuck, remove it and then restart your Mac again. If it still opens in safe mode, continue to the next step
Step 3. Shut down the Mac
Open the Apple menu
, click Turn off the equipment… and then in To turn off when asked.
Step 4. Turn the Mac back on
Press the power key on the Mac. You'll see it somewhere on the keyboard (laptop) or monitor (iMac).
Step 5. Press ⌥ Option + ⌘ Cmd + P + R and hold them down immediately
Do this right after pressing the power button on the Mac.
Step 6. Hold down the keys until the Mac makes a second startup sound
This process will take about 20 seconds. The Mac will appear to start during this time.
If your Mac doesn't make startup sounds, just wait for the Apple logo to appear a second time
Step 7. Wait for the Mac to finish restarting
This whole process will reset the temporary system settings of the computer. When it has finished booting up, it will return to normal mode
If your Mac doesn't start up in normal mode, you may need to take it to a technical department to have it checked
Method 3 of 4: On iPhone
Step 1. Determine if your iPhone is jailbroken or not
Unreleased iPhones do not have a built-in Safe Mode option, which means you might experience something unrelated if you have trouble.
Step 2. Press and hold the power and volume down buttons on the iPhone
This will force the iPhone to restart in normal mode. You have to keep these buttons pressed for several seconds.
Step 3. Release the buttons when the phone turns off
You have to do it when the screen goes black.
Step 4. Wait for the phone to restart
You will see the Apple logo appear for several seconds or minutes. When the iPhone restarts, it should be back to normal.
Step 5. Try to remove any troublesome apps or mods
If your iPhone doesn't reboot normally and is jailbroken, chances are you've installed something recently that is causing problems on your phone.
This goes also for an iPhone not jailbroken
Step 6. Restore the iPhone
The best method to get your iPhone back to normal is to restore it from a backup. If your iPhone is currently jailbroken, this action will remove the jailbreak.
If your phone is not jailbroken, restoring the iPhone to a backup of a previous version of the operating system might fix your problem
Method 4 of 4: On Android
Step 1. Use the notification panel
Swipe down from the top of the Android device screen to open the notification panel, then tap Safe Mode or in some option with a similar name. This action will cause the Android to exit safe mode, although it may restart during the process.
- Not all Android have this option. If you don't see an option to Safe Mode on the panel, proceed to the next step.
Step 2. Restart the Android
Press and hold the power button, then press Restart in the pop-up window. This action will almost always cause Android to exit safe mode.
If your Android restarts in safe mode, proceed to the next step
Step 3. Do a cold shutdown
To do this, you have to turn off the phone and wait a few minutes before turning it back on:
- Press the power button and hold it down.
- Press To turn off.
- Leave the phone off for several minutes.
Step 4. Turn it back on while keeping the volume down button pressed
Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time to restart the phone from cold shutdown.
Step 5. Clear the Android cache
This action will delete all the temporary files associated with the Android startup, as well as all the applications on the phone or tablet.
Step 6. Try to remove recent apps
If you have installed an app recently, this could be the reason why your device is stuck in safe mode. Delete any apps you have recently installed, then restart your Android.
Step 7. Restore the phone
If nothing works, you may need to restore your device to its factory settings. This action will delete the current data from the phone, so make sure to make a backup before restoring it.
If this does not fix your problems in safe mode, you will need to take the device to a technical department for a diagnosis
Advice
- In almost all cases related to safe mode, simply restarting the computer will suffice.
- Remember to disconnect any peripheral items (for example, USB sticks, mouse, chargers, etc.) from the computer before restarting it.